Like It Is

Don’t you just love the Onion? A reader of Like It Is sent me this link, saying they thought of me when they came across it and hoped I would enjoy it. Thank you dear reader! I did. I am still enjoying it immensely. And what better way of saying thanks than to share the humour with you all. It is, in typical Onion style, both hilarious and sly. It had my full childfree appreciation.

A big thanks again to you great and mighty readers who not only read Like It Is, or comment on Like It Is but also send me such interesting links which at some point will appear on Like It is. Cheers, enjoy and read on, people.

NEW BRIGHTON, MN — Immediately following a physician’s examination for her menstrual cessation, 37-year-old events planner Janice Crowley told reporters Tuesday that she is “ecstatic” with her diagnosis of a rapidly growing intrauterine parasite.

“I’m so happy!” Crowley said of the golf ball–sized, nutrient-sapping organism embedded deep in the wall of her uterus. “I was beginning to think this would never happen to me.”

Get the scoop here: Woman Overjoyed By Giant Uterine Parasite

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I thought this story just dripped with stereotypical drivel. I think it was supposed to paint Heidi Klum as someone to emulate, maybe even to envy. But I could be wrong. If so, exactly was is the point of this gushing piece?

Uber Blonde

Multi-million pound modelling contracts, Emmy nominations, a hot husband, a brood of kids – where did it all go right for Heidi Klum?

So reads the headline. By the time I read to the end I was wanting the puke bucket. I knew I would be. This is an article that should have been under entertainment or perhaps “waste of space”. It pretty much relates to less than .5% of the female population,does nothing to advance women, instead implies that everything going right definitely includes a brood of kids. Unfortunately, there are many young girls who would give their eye teeth to be like this tiny minority, to whom being a model is the ultimate career. To them Heidi Klum is an icon.

Generally, interviewing a model or any celebrity for that matter produces little more than a yawn. I haven’t yet heard one who had something useful to say. But I was interested in the Times article, because looking at it from a childfree perspective I was betting it wouldn’t be too far in before they mentioned Heidi Klum’s kids. Even models have more cred if they’ve produced a couple of cute kids, the ultimate for women, right? Read the rest of this entry »

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I was once told by someone that “It’s OK to be childfree, but if you are, it isn’t OK to brag about it. What about if there are women who want children and can’t have them?”

What?

It’s OK for parents to tell me about their parent status. And their kids. It’s OK for breeders to tell me how they are just itching to have two three four (or more kids). It’s apparently OK for both to enquire as to why I’m not adding to the world’s population and advise me on how to do so.

And of course it’s OK for people to talk endlessly about their kids, no matter what the setting.

But, according to this particular childed person it wasn’t OK for me to say I’m childfree, because others might be offended. In her book that’s called “bragging.” My response to this person was that if I wish to talk about the fact that I’m childfree I will. If they didn’t like it tough. As for people who couldn’t have children and wanted them, well, that was hardly my problem and I wasn’t about to make it so.

The fact is that the childed often do their best to ensure that the childfree person feel they are somehow abnormal. This, as we know is not only completely untrue, but is again a reflection of the bitterness, envy (yes, envy) and hostility often directed at childfree people, especially women. I am not aware of any of my childfree friends and acquaintances who “brag” about their childfree status. But even if we did, we’ve as much right to talk about what makes us happy as the childed have to talk about their children – and their parent status.

Let’s face it – in an overwhelmingly pro-natalistic world, our stories need to be told even more frequently.

Your thoughts?

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I can’t quite remember where I came across An open letter to virulent breeders but that matters not. Probably in one of my Childfree alerts. It gave me such a great laugh that I of course tagged it to share it again with everyone at a later date. I love it. Every time I read it I want to savour it… and read it again. And I still get a kick out of reading it.  It pretty much speaks for itself so doesn’t really need much introduction from me at all.

Given the number of breeder trolls who mysteriously are drawn to Like It Is – a childfree blog -  as if by a magnet; and who feel they simply must inform us about how they want to breed more kids and  how crazy they think  we are –  this is the perfect open letter to them. I think I should make it a permanent link.

Not that we like to feed the trolls (who without exception are clearly not the sharpest knives in the box otherwise they wouldn’t be spending time reading and commenting here – or not bothering to read but just commenting) but how nice to have a “recommended post” for them!

I am already finding it rather hard to decide which is my favourite part of An open letter to virulent breeders. I think the letter is a gem from beginning to end and deserves to be widely shared. After endless thought (OK not quite endless, but a lot) I chose this paragraph as my favourite. Especially the cats bit:

“You have chosen to be a parent, and that’s your business and your life choice. I have chosen not to be a parent, and that’s my business and my life choice. Why the hell do so many of you feel the need to attack me with such a malevolent torrent of abuse for this? You hiss at me, through a face contorted by anger, that I am “not a real woman if you don’t want children”, that I am “doomed to a life of regretful yearning”, and I will definitely become “a shriveled, twisted and vicious old woman driven by resentment and bitterness.” (There is also usually mention of cats. Not sure where the cats come into it - some sort of bizarre contraceptive process?) Er, excuse me? “Resentment”? “Bitterness”? So, not like what you, in your blissful maternity, are pouring over me?”

I also love the last paragraph, which I will leave you to read for yourself.

An open letter to virulent breeders

Have a read of it – and as always, do share your thoughts.

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That’s right folks. For all that people say we are the ones who are missing out, it’s likely parents who are missing out. Far from parents being able to enjoy themselves once the kids have flown the coop, and go for ambitions they’ve put on hold because of same kids, chances are they’ll never get the chance, they won’t be able to afford to. Because, unlike years of yore, the kids are staying firmly put. Not only are they staying put, they are relying on their parents to pay their debts, pay for child-care (what??) and pay their housing/mortgage costs, even bills. And not only are children staying put in the family home, but in some cases they are staying rent free.

Pensioner parents still funding their coat-tail children

This article will make every childfree person thank their lucky stars. And every parent should be rethinking the “my children will look after me when I’m old myth.” Here’s the thing. Read the rest of this entry »

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I need to add a new category. I’d call it fuckwittery.

Because Russians get day off to procreate, then win prizes has to be the most fuckwitted idea I’ve read in a long time. Read the article childfree folks, if you haven’t already.

Firstly, props to Mel, who, reeling from shock (no awe), and plenty of disgust, blogged it on her blog and also sent me the link.

The Denver post really should have called the article Russians get prizes for breeding.

Time off to go and… rut like rabbits, really. And, wait for it – prizes!? Most countries give incentives. Bad enough. At least they don’t make it a contest! But the crisis in Ulyanovsk, Russia is apparently so great that hardier enticements were required. So, let the games begin!

Time to get going breeders. That (car, washing machine, dining table set, golf set, SUV) you’ve set your heart on, could soon be yours. In nine months to be precise. Of course, you only get a prize if you pop out a brat or rather a number of brats a “patriot. ” Otherwise, you only get the day off to exchange body fluids while you try to make babies.

But take heart, you do get your very own breeding day, specially set aside to make as many rug-rats as you possibly can. Read the rest of this entry »

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Fewer pictures too…

As a businessperson (whether employed or an entrepreneur) I know that life is all about the quality of your relationships. Who you know and how you know them, how you can help them and how people can help you can make the difference between glowing success or mediocrity in work or career, in fact in any venture for business or pleasure. Because I realize the importance of relationships I network as much as I can. There is always room for improvement, but I have to say that social networking is making meeting new people and keeping in touch with old friends easier than ever. And it’s particularly good for making new business contacts, whatever your industry.

When I first saw the article Stop Talking About Your Kids on Childfree news back in July, I decided this subject was worth blogging about – as always with my own take. I hope you’ll add your views.

I have to agree with the writer of the original article in FastCompany that when I go to meet with someone, it is extremely boring to have the first 10 minutes taken up with stories about their kids.

Their kid (or their kid’s kid) is just starting school, is teething, is graduating, is going to their first party, is having trouble with another kid – you name it, I’m going to hear it within the first few minutes of meeting a parent for the first time. Read the rest of this entry »

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I love this! Don’t I just love this!  The actual article is called:

10 Good Reasons You May Not Want To Have Kids but aren’t these some really good reasons to remain childfree? I know that I have reasons apart from these, but so far my favourite ones are, errm – well all of them really.

If I was to choose my top 3 though they would be:

2 : Social Responsibility or simply responsibility for children. I don’t want it. Period. I would guess that most people, once they find out just how engulfing this responsibility is, don’t want it either. Even though they may wear it like a hair shirt. But, too late, they are stuck with it. The bad thing is that some parents find they hate it so much they decide to hurt , neglect or kill the child. They’ve been stupid in their choice to have kids, but it seems to be OK to take it out on a defenceless child.

And as I write this I am thinking of the latest child that’s been murdered by their parent. The stories are becoming depressingly familiar. When will it be said – Some people should NOT be parents. Under any circumstances. Read the rest of this entry »

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I’m beginning to think that Childfree people must be some of the most sane folk around. Not for us the uncontrollable breeding of multiple replicants (a la Duggar). Not for us the incubating of eggs to consider passing on to possible daughters to ensure that they continue the tradition of kids. (I hear that there may even be sister to sister in the offing, too).

But is this -

How a 40 Something publisher used 20 something eggs to impregnate a 30 something uterus

the ultimate in outsourcing? I thought the cryptic puzzle of mommy freezing eggs for daughter was bad enough – this one makes even less sense.

In a nutshell this woman was so determined to have a baby with her own (or her husbands?) DNA that:

She had a 20–something beauty queen to donate the egg and a healthy 30–something carry the fertilised embryo to term (in other words she donated her uterus). The mother, 40 who in fact had no part of actually birthing the child still says that “she never thought for a moment that she (the baby) would not feel like “hers.”

She had practically no connection with this child yet, she feels a “connection?” Of course there is the chorus that says “well why shouldn’t she, she can afford to do it (IVF) and it’s her “choice.” Don’t dare say no, or we’ll have the usual “I want a child and why shouldn’t I spend $$$$$ to have a kid if I want one?”

Basically the fact was that she was so determined to have a beautiful child with her DNA that, well anything goes it seems.

That’s going to be one confused child. I mean, who is it’s mother? Really.

What a message to women all over – go to any length to have a child…having a child with your DNA is what counts, get the eggs, rent the uterus!

But hey. It’s called having it all.

Have a read of the story and comments.

And thanks Carisa for the link to this story.

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http://dlisted.com/node/13473

A real live example of a breeder. This woman is addicted to breeding. And she has no imagination when it comes to names.Jinger?? And with this many kids, you guessed right – it’s the kids who do most of the parenting. Has to be, right?

And she wants more! Well, no wonder when she’s won a couple of Mother Of the Year awards. Eck!

The comments are just hilarious – even though some are a little OTT. The one about the hairdo simply cracked me up.

But listen up all you childfree folks: if you’re feeling even the slightest bit of guilt about not jumping into the gene pool, fret no more – chances are this woman has had your child AND mine – already.

Personally I think she should have one more… everyone loves a round number. They ain’t on welfare either… but I bet they don’t pay much income tax thanks to all the child/dependent deductions. Go figure.

There are now 10 pages of comments and counting.

Obviously this has hit a nerve.

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